March

Big news...  We are finishing our basement.  We have had many men in and out, giving us bids, and finally starting the work.  And actually we have all the HVAC, plumbing, and electrical done.  In order to get all that done though, we have had to plan everything out--where we want everything, etc.  It is a bit frightening because then you have to live with those decisions!  Do we put 6 lights or 8?  Is it worth the cost to do certain things, etc?  How can we save money?  And the anxiety goes on and on.  But, I think we are doing well.  I have put in tons of closet/storage space and planned for future things.  We have two rooms downstairs, one set up for visitors and one for exercise, toys, and visitors if needed (on a blow up bed or floor....).  The rest of the basement is kind of one giant room.  Well, there is a living room area where we will put the fireplace and TV and then it opens into another room that will have a kitchen along a wall and an air hockey table and then just open space so we can have lots of tables for dinners, etc.  It will be nice area for people to come visit and stay.  So please come (well, give us a few more months so we can finish!).  We just need to get the insulation and drywall up and then we will paint and do the tile work.  Shouldn't be too long--I guess we will just have to see how long it really takes us!  I am so proud of Scott because he has done so much of it himself and he is so handy!

The new movie Cinderella came out and Elise and her friend Halle dressed up in princess dresses and we had a girls night out!  She has been playing with a new friend from school, Ellee, and we all went to the curiosity museum.  Her favorite color today is purple.  Yesterday it was blue.  She also got to have a fun time with her cousin Hallie and her brothers came to stay the night.  She is advancing nicely in tumbling and just a light and love!

The night the cousins came, we had neighbor friends over as well and ended up watching a movie with 12 kids in the toy room!  And they were actually just great.  It has been nice weather so they all played outside most of the time, then enjoyed a movie and settled down to sleep.  It will be nice to have the basement done so next time they can be down there! Speaking of people over, Devan brought Tallis and Rowan for a Tai Kwon Do competition and we had a great time with them. Weston was especially good with Rowan; he is so good with kids!

Weston has started soccer practice and is absolutely thrilled about it. He has gotten some new shoes and is excited to start using them.  He has been able to go to the local high school soccer games and is hoping to be on that team some day!  He is worried about starting Junior High next year.  It is a daunting thought (for me, too!), but he will thrive there.  He and Scott got to go on a 11 year old camping trip.  They actually stayed at a cabin, but a pretty basic cabin (outhouse...).  They had a blast and ate tons of cookies and smores, etc.  He also participated in a Pow Wow and was able to do a "movie making" merit badge.  In two months he will be twelve and I am not ready for that...

Aidan has had a busy month.  He participated in a piano recital and a talent show at school and did marvelously (of course) and he is now working on a duet for another recital.  The Utah Symphony had a special pianist come and so we got tickets and Aidan and I went to the show.  It was great and I was so pleasantly surprised at how well he did--and that he wanted to stay for the whole thing.  His love of music, buffalos and rocks continues.  There was a Gem and Mineral Show and Aidan and I went to that and spent some good money on *******.  What a kid!  We did have a cool experience while there.  One of the first places we stopped had a guy named Jorge working there.  We started talking and he was so kind and gave a free rock to Aidan.  We started a nice conversation and I asked where he was from.  He said San Fernando, California.  I told him that I had lived there as a missionary for the Mormon Church and he said, "Oh, I have some missionary friends!"  Come to find out he has been taking the discussions.  They had told him to go to downtown SLC and see things and he loved it all.  He has a good friend who is a member, and when he was at the Joseph Smith Building he called and told him "I am with Joseph Smith."  He thought that was so funny.  The booth became busy with people trying to buy rocks, so we had to go, but before we left, we stopped by again and he said he would be back in June for another rock show, so we are going to go to that one to see him as well.  So cool!

All the kids got to participate in a race--a cardboard racecar race at Pack Meeting.  I've said before that our scout leaders are the best, and they live up to that every month!  Each kid made their own car from a box that they cut a hole in the bottom so they can put it around their waist and then run with it.  Aidan painted his and decorated it, but we didn't do much with the other kids' cars.  Then they raced their cars and Aidan won (it was based on how many times around the "track" they could go).  He also got an award for best looking car.

Brennan's big news is that he failed his eye exam--so he got glasses, and boy does he look darling!  He has been very responsible with them, wearing them to school daily, and putting them away when he isn't using them.  He is doing so well in school, getting straight A's.  I get to correct papers in his class sometimes and it is so fun to correct his papers and see how great he does.

Happy Easter to you all!